.:: SAMAA - 11 more killed in Karachi violence

KARACHI: Eleven more people were killed in wave of target killing as the tension continued in different parts of the city while rangers have been given special powers equal to poice to take any action against criminals and terrorists in the city for one month on Tuesday.

The incidents of the target killings took place in different parts of the city.

The total death toll in the target killings have reached at 36 from the day the violence started in the city.

The rangers have been given special powers one month by Sindh government equal to police to take any action against criminals and terrorists.

The tension continued in the areas including Karimabad, Nazimabad, Buffer Zone and Orangi Town.

Earlier, Police in Pakistan's largest city Karachi said that at least 26 people were killed in a series of ethnic killings during the last four days.

The clashes appeared to be between activists from rival political parties which traditionally gather support from different ethnic groups.

On Monday, nine people were killed in Karachi's Orangi town where Pashtun community is in majority.

Local media reports said that the latest clashes had started on Friday when the officials from the Pashtun Awami National Party (ANP) were killed by the unknown assailants.

Those initial killings sparked off other attacks in Pashtun areas of Karachi with ANP leaders reportedly blaming activists from the rival Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM). The MQM largely represents the Urdu-speaking Karachi residents.

Later on Monday evening at Karachi's Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, more bodies were brought into the mortuary. Victims' relatives gathered around a man crying as he stood next to a body.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari met the political leaders from MQM and the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in Karachi on Monday, where he met to discuss the law and order situation in the city.

Earlier in January, more than 40 people were killed as ethnic clashes erupted across the city. AGENCIES